“Enough is enough”: Senate marches toward vote to limit Trump’s war powers in Venezuela

The Senate pushed back against President Donald Trump on Tuesday, advancing a measure to limit his ability to wage war “within or against Venezuela” without Congressional approval.

Following Trump’s threats of a “second wave” of strikes on Venezuela, the measure passed the Senate 52-47, with five Republicans breaking party ranks to vote with Democrats. Those included senators Rand Paul, R-Ky., Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Josh Hawley, R-Mo. A full vote on the resolution will likely occur next week, following an amendment process.

Their defection from Trump’s party members immediately angered the president, who took to Truth Social to bash them for their “stupidity.”

“Republicans should be ashamed of the Senators that just voted with Democrats in attempting to take away our Powers to fight and defend the United States of America,” Trump wrote.

The president added that GOP defectors “should never be elected again.”

Rank-breaking Republicans were quick to defend their votes. Hawley chalked his vote up to following the “war clause” in the Constitution.

“If the President feels the need to put boots on the ground there in the future, Congress would need to vote on it,” Hawley said on social media.

Start your day with essential news from Salon.Sign up for our free morning newsletter, Crash Course.

Paul’s reasons mirrored Hawley’s, calling Trump’s action in Venezuela “an act of war, plain and simple.”

“No provision in the Constitution provides such power to the presidency,” Paul said while speaking in the Senate. “No congressman of any self-respect will argue otherwise.”

Collins said that she supported the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, but would not stand for “committing additional U.S. forces” without congressional approval.

“I believe invoking the War Powers Act at this moment is necessary, given the President’s comments about the possibility of ‘boots on the ground’ and a sustained engagement ‘running’ Venezuela, with which I do not agree,” Collins said in a statement on Thursday.